Bottle-stopper.



T. P. PICK.

BOTTLE STOPPER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30. 1913.

1,171,976. 1 Patented Feb-15, 1916.

@WSSQS: v $200172? THOMAS P. PICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed December 30, 1913. Serial No. 809,539.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS P. PICK, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Stoppers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to bottle stoppers, and more particularly to stoppers adapted for use upon decanters or water bottles, and upon milk bottles.

' One object of my inventionis to provide a stopper which will fit bottle necks of varying sizes to effect a substantially dust-proof closure, and which will be ornamental in appearance, and to equip such a stopper with means for removing milk bottle caps.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for catching any drops of milk or other liquid carried by the said cap-removing means, and to provide ready access to the interior of the stopper for cleaning the same.

Still another object is to provide simple means for detachably securing the said capremover to the stopper proper to enable the former to act as a handle member for the latter.

I accomplish these objects by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in whic h- Figure l is a side elevation of the upper end portion of a milk bottle equipped with a stopper embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an upward horizontal section through Fig. 1 along the line 33. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the stopper of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the tip or cap-removing portion of the stopper of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of the drawings, the device of my invention consists of a tubular stopper or plug having tapered sides 1 and a closed bottom 2 and equipped at the upper end of the tapered sides with an outwardly projecting annular flange 3, which flange is interposed between the under surface of a substantially dome-shaped cover 4 and a plurality of prongs 5 bent from the said cover. The peripheral flange 3 of the stopper has a plurality of recesses 6 punched therein, the said recesses corresponding in successive spacing with that of the successive prongs 5 and being slightly wider circumferentially of the flange than the said prongs '5. Normally the stopper and cover are so disposed (as shown in Fig. 3) that the prongs 5 will engage the flange 3 intermediate of the said recesses, the said prongs being preferably resilient so as to force the flange tightly against the cover, thereby locking the cover and the tubular stopper against accidental rotation. Upon forcibly rotating the tubular stopper and cover relative to each other to bring the recesses 6 into alinement with the prongs, the said prongs will slip through the recesses, thereby permitting the stopper proper to be detached' from the cover for affording access to the interior surfaces of both.

The cover 4 i's-preferably equipped with a central perforation for receiving the stem of a handle member comprising a stem 7 equipped at its lower end with a sharply pointed prong 8 and at-its upper end with a handle portion of ornamental design. In the embodiment of the drawings, this handle portion is shown as comprising a pair of hollow parts9 and 10 secured to each other, the part 9being rigidly secured also to the stem 7 carrying the said pointed prong.

Riveted to the interior of the portion 9 and projectingv downwardly into the tubular stem 7 is a spring or resilient member 11 having a nose portion 12 projecting outwardly through an opening in the stem 7, this opening being so disposed relative to the said stem and to the portion 9 of the handle member as to engage the under surface of the cover 4 when the handle member of my device is inserted in the tubular stopper as shown in Fig. 2. It will be evident from the drawings that the member 11' aflords a latch yieldingly securing the handle of the stopper to the tubular portion of the latter and that the said handle member can readily be withdrawn from the tubular portion of the stopper by exerting suflicient force to flex the toe 12 of the resilient member inwardly. It will also be evident that after the handle member of my appliance has been used for removing the paper cap of a milk bottle by inserting the pointed prong 8 therethrough, any drops=of milk or cream carried by the said prong and dropping therefrom will be caught by the bottom 2 of the tubular stopper.

ripheral portion of the cover will project be- I yond the rim of bottle necks of varying diameter so as to cooperate with the tubular portion of the stopper in effectively pre venting the entrance of air and dust into the interior of the bottle.

While I have described the stopper of my invention as equipped with a handle member composed of three distinct portions and equipped with a latching member riveted to one thereof, and as having the tubular portion of the stopper secured to the cover por tion by resilient prongs, I do not wish to be limited to these or other details of the construction herein disclosed, it being evident that this construction might be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention as shonn in the appended claims- I claim as my invention:

1. A bottle stopper comprising a lu adapted to enter the neck of the bottle; a cover secured to the said plug at the up er end thereof and adapted to project beyond the rim of the bottle and equipped with a central perforation; a handle for said stopper having a stem adapted to enter the said perforation; and a latch member carried by the said handle and adapted to engage the said cover to secure the said handle to the cover.

2. A bottle stopper comprising as one member a hollow plug adapted to enter-the bottle neck and equipped. at its upper end with a perforation; and as another member a handle equipped with a pointed stem entering the said erforation; and a yielding latch carried by one of the said members and engaging the other thereof to removably secure the said members to each other.

3. A bottle stopper comprising a hollow plug adapted to enter the bottle neck and equipped at its upper end with a cover having a central perforation; and a handle having a stem entering the said stopper through the said perforation and equipped with means for yieldingly securing the said handle tothe said stopper, the inner end of the said handle being sharply pointed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing'witnesses.

THOMAS P. PICK. 

